Interlocking device for releasably interconnecting the tapes of a slide fastener



NOV. 19, 1963 KUNIQ A 3,110,946

INTERLOCKING DEVICE RELEASABLY INTERCONNECTING THE TAPES A SLIDE FASTENER Filed July 5, 1962 2 Shets-Sheet 1 Nov. 19, 1963 KUNIO HARA 3,110,946

INTERLOCKING DEVICE FOR RELEASABLY INTERCONNECTING THETAPES OF A SLIDE FASTENER Filed July 5, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent INTERLOCKING DEVICE FOR RELEAgAliLll INTERCONNECTING THE TAPES OF A LllDE FASTENER Kunio Hara, Kurohe-shi, Japan, assiguor to Yoshida Kogyo K.K., Tokyo, Japan, a corporation of Japan Filed July 5, 1962, Ser. No. 207,557 Claims priority, application lapan Dec. 23, 1961 3 Claims. (Cl. 24-20511) The present invention relates to interlocking devices for releasably interconnecting the tapes of a slide fastener.

In the past, interlocking devices of the kind described generally include a box-like element and a hingeable bar element adapted to be inserted into the top side of the box-like element to interlock the two elements. This type of interlocking device has inherent disadvantages that its operation is more or the interengagement of its two interlocking elements when the slide fastener is closed is not satisfactorily firm and allows more or less relative movement between the two elements and hence between the interconnected fabric ta es.

The present invention has for its primary object to provide an improved interlocking device of the kind described which includes two component elements having complementally shaped opposing faces adapted to interengage substantially in the same manner as the fastening elements of the slide fastener.

Another object of the invention is to provide an interlocking device of the kind described including two interlocking elements which are quite easily and quickly connectable and disconnectable.

A further object of the invention is to provide an interlocking device of the kind described including two interlocking elements which may interengage with exceptional firmness when the slide fastener is closed and are not movable relative to each other when interconnected.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, which illustrates one preferred embodiment of the invention. In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of a slide fastener fitted with an interlocking device embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the male element of the interlocking device as attached to the associated fabric tape of the slide fastener;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 of the female element as attached to the associated fabric tape; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the relation between the female element and the slide member of the slide fastener immediately before the male element is inserted into the female element.

In the drawing, there is shown an interlocking device embodying the present invention which comprises a male element 2 and a female element 3 attached to the bottom ends of the respective fabric tapes 1 and 1a of aslide fastener. The male element 2 is preferably an integral molded member and comprises a body portion 4 in the form of a column having a thickness increasing rear- Wardly from its front face 4a, which is inclined forwardly downwardly, as best shown in FIG. 2. The male element 2 also comprises a hook portion 5 and an anchoring portion 6, which are formed integrally with the body portion 4 at opposite ends thereof. The hook portion 5 extends beyond the body portion 4 on opposite sides thereof forming shoulders m extending in opposite directions from the bottom end of the column portion 4 as shown. The anchoring portion 6 includes a curved recess 11 formed at the front end thereof adjacent the top of the body porless complicated and that "ice tion 4. The female element 3 is preferably an integral molded member and comprises a jaw portion 7 shaped coinplementally to the hook portion 5 of the male element to in-terengage therewith and a slide-supporting body portion 9 including spaced elements 11 defining a groove 10 to receive the column portion 4 of the male element 2, as best shown in FIG. 3. The groove Ill is shaped complementally to the column portion 4 of the male element, or it has a width decreasing toward its bottom wall, which forms a surface 10a inclined downwardly inwardly. The jaw poi-tion 7 extends beyond the body portion 9 on opposite sides thereof to form shoulders 8 for supporting the slide membenat its bottom when it is in its lowest position. The jaw portion 7 has inclined faces 7a, 7b which rest on the hook portion 5 of the male element when the male and female elements are interengaged. The inclined faces facilitate interengagement of the elements.

In use, the interlocking device is operated as follows. To close the slide fastener by interengaging the two component elements of the device attached to the respective fabric tapes of the slide fastener, the slide member S slidably mounted on the slide fastener for connecting and disconnecting the fastening elements is moved downwardly until the bottom of the slide S abuts against the shoulders 8 on the female element 3 (FIG. 4) and then the male element 2 is fitted to the female element 3 by inserting the column portion 4 of the former into the groove 10 formed in the slide-supporting body portion 9 of the latter now held in the slide member S through the slot A formed in one side thereof until the inclined front face 4a of the column portion 4 engages the inclined bottom wall surface 10a of the groove 10. The male element is then pushed upwardly to slide relative to the female element under guiding effect of the interengaging surfaces 4a and 10a of the column portion 4 and the grooved portion 9 of the respective elements 2 and 3 until the hook portion 5 of the male element 2 is slid into the complementally shaped jaw portion 7 of the female element 3 thus to hold the two elements in predetermined interlocking position. At the same time, the anchoring portion 6 of the male element 2 is positioned to project upwardly beyond the grooved portion 9 of the female element 3 and rest on the elements 11 thereof such that the curved recess n formed in the anchoring portion 6 interfits with the engaging lug of the lowest one of the fastening elements carried by the fabric tape to the bottom of which the female element 3 is attached. As a result, it will be appreciated that the rows of fastening elements carried by the respective fabric tapes of the slide fastener are placed relative to each other in normal interengaging position facilitating the closing of the slide fastener upon manual sliding movement of the slide member. It will also be appreciated that the interfitting relation between the anchoring portion *6 of the male element and the lowest fastening element E helps to ensure firm and positive interengagement between the male and female elements of the interlocking device holding these elements against any movement relative to each other.

In disengaging the slide fastener, the above described sequence of operation is followed reversewise. First, the slide member S is moved slidingly to release the interengagement between the rows'of fastening elements until the bottom of the slide abuts against the shoulders 8 formed on the female element 3 of the interlocking device. The male element 2 of the device is then pulled laterally downwardly relative to the female element until the hook portion 5 of the male element is slid out of the complemental recess formed in the jaw portion 7 of the female element. The male element may thus readily be disengaged from the female element to be withdrawn outwardly through the side slot A formed in the slide memher allowing the fabric tapes of the slide fastener to be completely separated from each other.

As apparent from the foregoing description, the interlocking device of the present invention is constructed and arranged so as to be readily engaged and disengaged through the side slot A formed in the slide member of the slide fastener. Also, unlike conventional ones, the interlocking device, employing no box-like element, may be made in a compact form having an appearance harmonized with that of fastening elements of the associated slide fastener.

An outstanding feature of the inventive interlocking device consists in its simple and rational construction which enables its two component elements to be positively and completely interlocked eliminating the danger that the elements be accidentally disengaged from or rocked relative to each other in some direction or other.

More specifically, the male and female elements of the inventive interlocking device are so constructed and arranged that they may interengage with each other in a manner such that any force tending to move the elements laterally away from each other is effectively resisted by the interlocking engagement between the hook portion and the jaw portion 7 of the respective elements 2 and 3; that any force tending to cause relative vertical movement between the two elements is eifectively resisted by the engagement of the shouldered portion in of the male element with the jaw portion '7 of the female element and also by the engagement of the anchoring portion 6 of the male element with the top surface of slide-supporting body portion 9 of the female element 3; and that any relative rocking movement between the two elements is effectively prevented by the fitting relation between the column 4 and the groove 10 of the respective elements. Thus, quite a tight and positive interengagement is established between the elements of the inventive interlocking device when the slide fastener is closed preventing any slight relative movement from occurring between the two elements in any direction. It will be appreciated that any gap or separation of the fabric tapes as occurs in use of a slide fastener carrying a conventional interlocking device is effectively prevented by use of the inventive interlocking device, which is thus particularly suitable for use with garments subject to any vigorous body movement of the wearer such as jumpers, sports clothes and shirts.

What is claimed is:

1. An interlocking device for releasingly interconnecting the tapes of a slide fastener on which are supported elements which are selectively engageable and disengageable by a movable slider, said interlocking device comprising a male and a female element attached to respective tapes and adapted for being releasingly interengaged, said male element including a column portion having an inclined front face, an anchoring portion above said column portion and provided with a recess for accommodating an engaging lug on one of the engageable elements on the other of the tapes, said male element further including a hook portion of L-shape beneath the column portion, said hook portion having a greater thickness than that of said column portion to project laterally thereof and form shoulders, said female element including spaced elements defining a groove bounded by an inclinedface complementary to the front face of the column portion, said groove being effective, with said male and female elements interengaged, to accommodate said column portion of the male element therein with the front face thereof in contact with the inclined face of the female element, said female element further including a jaw portion for engaging said hook portion of the male element, said male and female elements being releasable one from the other through a slot provided in one side of the slider by pulling the male element laterally and downwardly with respect to the female element to disengage the hook portion from the jaw portion.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said anchoring portion extends beyond said column portion, said spaced elements of said female element having an upper surface, said anchoring portion of the male element being supported on said upper surface of the female element, with said male and female elements interengaged.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said jaw portion of the female element has end surfaces which rest on said hook portion with the elements interengaged, the latter said end surfaces being inclined relative to the shoulders of the hook portion to facilitate engagement of the male and female elements.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,837,511 Whitney Dec. 22, 1931 1,949,882 Rocke Mar. 6, 1934 2,093,973 Clark Sept. 21, 1937 2,203,005 Wittenberg June 4, 1940 2,834,084 Morin May 13, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 282,353 Switzerland Aug. 1, 1952 

1. AN INTERLOCKING DEVICE FOR RELEASINGLY INTERCONNECTING THE TAPES OF A SLIDE FASTENER ON WHICH ARE SUPPORTED ELEMENTS WHICH ARE SELECTIVELY ENGAGEABLE AND DISENGAGEABLE BY A MOVABLE SLIDER, SAID INTERLOCKING DEVICE COMPRISING A MALE AND A FEMALE ELEMENT ATTACHED TO RESPECTIVE TAPES AND ADAPTED FOR BEING RELEASINGLY INTERENGAGED, SAID MALE ELEMENT INCLUDING A COLUMN PORTION HAVING AN INCLINED FRONT FACE, AN ANCHORING PORTION ABOVE SAID COLUMN PORTION AND PROVIDED WITH A RECESS FOR ACCOMMODATING AN ENGAGING LUG ON ONE OF THE ENGAGEABLE ELEMENTS ON THE OTHER OF THE TAPES, SAID MALE ELEMENT FURTHER INCLUDING A HOOK PORTION OF L-SHAPED BENEATH THE COLUMN PORTION, SAID HOOK PORTION HAVING A GREATER THICKNESS THAN THAT OF SAID COLUMN PORTION TO PROJECT LATERALLY THEREOF AND FORM SHOULDERS, SAID FEMALE ELEMENT INCLUDING SPACED ELEMENTS DEFINING A GROOVE BOUNDED BY AN INCLINED FACE COMPLEMENTARY TO THE FRONT FACE OF THE COLUMN PORTION, SAID GROOVE BEING EFFECTIVE, WITH SAID MALE AND FEMALE ELEMENTS INTERENGAGED, TO ACCOMMODATE SAID COLUMN PORTION OF THE MALE ELEMENT THEREIN WITH THE FRONT FACE THEREOF IN CONTACT WITH THE INCLINED FACE OF THE FEMALE ELEMENT, SAID FEMALE ELEMENT FURTHER INCLUDING A JAW PORTION FOR ENGAGING SAID HOOK PORTION OF THE MALE ELEMENT, SAID MALE AND FEMALE ELEMENTS BEING RELEASABLE ONE FROM THE OTHER THROUGH A SLOT PROVIDED IN ONE SIDE OF THE SLIDER BY PULLING THE MALE ELEMENT LATERALLY AND DOWNWARDLY WITH RESPECT TO THE FEMALE ELEMENT TO DISENGAGE THE HOOK PORTION FROM THE JAW PORTION. 